University Action Related to the Tax Reform Bill

I am writing to you to share with you how Northeastern has been speaking out over the past several weeks regarding the negative consequences of the proposed tax reform bill for graduate students.

We are all concerned about the implications of the proposed tax plan. The success of such a tax plan would have significant implications for graduate programs throughout the United States. Northeastern has been working diligently on behalf of all of our graduate students to communicate the negative impact of this tax bill on our graduate students, the workforce, and our nation’s position as an academic leader.

Over the past several weeks the Northeastern Government Relations team has been on Capitol Hill urging members of Congress to oppose this bill. Our Government Relations team has distributed a statement describing our position opposing the higher education provisions in the proposed tax reform bill for Northeastern to the delegations that represent all of Northeastern’s U.S. campuses in Massachusetts, California, North Carolina, and Washington. You can view this statement at the Northeastern University Government Relations website. We are also working with higher education associations in Washington such as the American Council on Education, who are engaged with communicating the serious repercussions that could result from the current tax reform bill.

Yesterday we learned that the tax reform bill passed the in the U.S. House, but the Senate is still working on its version. Our legislative process is iterative requiring both houses to negotiate a final bill. Revisions occur throughout this process that can span weeks to months and there remain multiple opportunities to continue to influence and shape the bill. Our Government Relations team consistently pursues a proactive agenda on Capitol Hill on the behalf of the university including our students on efforts such as this tax reform bill, the travel ban and immigration, DACA, national financial aid policies, and research funding.

Please feel free to contact Vice President Tim Leshan (t.leshan@northeastern.edu) in our Government Relations office if you have any questions.